The Neonatal-Perinatal Fellowship provides outstanding training in evidence-based care for critically ill newborns.
The Neonatal Fellowship Program at the University of New Mexico is an outstanding training program for those interested in a career in neonatology. The training program has been in existence for almost 40 years and has been essential in improving the health of critically ill neonates in New Mexico. This is a three-year training program in Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine and is approved by the Residency Review Committee of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. The fellowship training takes place at the University of New Mexico Children’s Hospital and the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center.
Our fellows receive outstanding clinical training in the care of critically ill neonatal patients admitted to the NICU. All admissions to the NICU are directly cared for by the Neonatology Service. Fellows participate in Developmental Follow-up, Perinatal Consultation and Genetics. In addition, fellows have electives in Maternal-Fetal Medicine, ECMO, and Cardiovascular Surgery. Didactic sessions include a 3-day annual Neonatal Skills Lab using high fidelity simulation, a Neonatal Fellows Fundamentals in Research Seminar Series (Scholarly Activity Core Curriculum) and a Fellows Neonatology Core Curriculum. The Division also has several weekly Neonatology conferences and didactic opportunities.
Welcome to the University of New Mexico's Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine Fellowship Program. Our fellow's clinical training occurs in a state-of-art Level IV unit at the University of New Mexico Children's Hospital (UNMH). This 52-bed open bay unit was opened in 2007 and cares for a wide range of critically-ill neonates. It serves as a regional referral center and has a robust high risk delivery service. ECMO is available in the NICU for newborns with severe cardio-respiratory failure.
Our program aims to train exceptional Neonatologists who are well prepared to manage a full spectrum neonatal patients. We train our fellows to use an evidence-based approach to the pathophysiology commonly encountered in the NICU. Our fellows have abundant exposure to premature infants (as young as 23 weeks gestation) in addition to infants with a broad range of surgical, cardiac and genetic conditions. In fact, New Mexico's diverse patient population provides the opportunity for our fellows to have regular exposure to rare diagnoses and unique clinical situations.
Our fellows have a graduated level of responsibility over the 3 years and by completion of the fellowship are fully prepared to practice independently. The first six months of fellowship focus heavily on procedural skill acquisition including intubations, umbilical line placement, PICC placement, thoracentesis and chest tube placement. Fellows are also taught to place central venous catheters by a cut-down approach.
By the end of the first year, our fellows are becoming proficient at diagnosing and learning how to manage complex medical and surgical problems of the neonate. Second and third year fellows continue to build on the knowledge and skills obtained in the first year. Additionally, the focus of training broadens to include running rounds with attending supervision, management of a multidisciplinary team and education of junior colleagues.
The clinical schedule consists of 52 weeks of service distributed over 3 years. These service weeks typically occur in two-week blocks. Fellows also complete a total of 150 calls by the end of training. Of the total calls, approximately 107 are weekday calls (~16 hrs) and 43 are weekend calls (~24 hrs). Fellows can choose to ‘front load’ their schedule over the first two years of training to allow lighter clinical/call schedule during the third year. Fellows typically are not given weeknight call while on service to avoid disrupting the service day.
Fellows participate in numerous conferences and ancillary clinical experiences that provide them with a wide knowledge base in neonatal-perinatal medicine.
A significant portion of fellowship is dedicated to a pursing a basic science or clinical research project. Our fellows are given approximately 24 months of protected non-clinical time to focus on their research project. We strive to provide comprehensive and well-rounded scholarly training that will prepare fellows for a career in academic medicine.
The Division of Neonatology is part of the NICHD Neonatal Research Network, which has multiple ongoing observational and interventional studies in the NICU. Additionally, we participate in the Vermont Oxford Network, ECHO (environmental influences on child health outcomes) and IDeA States Pediatric Clinical Trials Network, with ongoing observational and interventional studies occurring in the NICU. For more info, follow this link: Neo Research
Fellows work closely with a research mentor who help guide them through all aspects of their project. Fellows have to opportunity to work with a wide variety of basic science or clinical investigators either from within the Division of Neonatology or the broader Health Sciences system at UNM. Recent prior mentors from outside the Division of Neonatology include:
Fellow’s research projects are additionally supported through their Scholarly Oversight Committee. The purpose of this committee is to review the fellow's scholarly activity every six to twelve months throughout the fellowship. The committee members help offer expertise guidance on next steps and navigating roadblocks, and often include members from outside the division.
Our division fosters an environment that supports and promotes active, ongoing quality improvement. All fellows will receive education on quality improvement principles and participate in a division wide quality improvement project. Our goal is to provide fellows with the knowledge and skills required to continue to implement quality improvement initiatives in their future career endeavors.
Dr. Zachary Emmons grew up in Ventura, CA. He received his undergraduate degree in Biology from Brigham Young University-Idaho in Rexburg, ID. He attended medical school at the Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine in Glendale, AZ and completed a residency in pediatrics at Southern Illinois University in Springfield, IL. His research interests include predicting early onset sepsis in late preterm and term infants. His QI project involves improving discharge education using discharge care conferences. Outside of medicine he enjoys family life with his wife, Stacy and their four children. He also enjoys studying the Spanish language and reading about different cultures in the world.
Dr. Leah Enright was born and raised in Albuquerque, NM. She received her undergraduate degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics from the University of Arizona and attended medical school at the University of New Mexico. She completed her pediatric residency program at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, MD. She then worked as a general pediatrician for 6 years in Anchorage, AK, followed by an additional 3 years in Albuquerque. Her area of research interest is in cerebral NIRS monitoring in the first several days of life and the impact of altitude on cerebral oxygen saturation and utilization during this period. Her quality improvement project focuses on management of home oxygen weaning after NICU discharge. Outside of medicine she enjoys running and spending time with her husband and two sons.
Dr. Erin Swieter is from Anchorage, Alaska. She received her undergraduate degree in Psychology and minored in Music at the University of Puget Sound. She attended medical school at Pacific Northwest University in Yakima, Washington. She completed her pediatric residency at Blank Children's Hospital in Des Moines, Iowa. Her research project is focused on heart rate variability and skin to skin in preterm infants requiring respiratory support. Her quality improvement project is looking at formula fortification in preterm infants after discharge from the NICU. She enjoys spending time with her family, arts and crafts, and outdoor activities.
Dr. Meghan Groghan grew up in Denver, CO. She received her undergraduate degree in Molecular, Cellular & Developmental Biology from the University of Colorado at Boulder, and then attended medical school at The University of Colorado Health Sciences Center. She completed her pediatric residency in Austin, TX - where she remained for over a decade working as a Newborn Hospitalist prior to pursuing Fellowship. Her research topic is the effect of recorded maternal voice on quantitative EEG in the preterm newborn, and an area of interest for QI is in improving communication & teamwork within healthcare teams. Outside of medicine, she spends her time with an awesome husband, two amazing kiddos and one slightly neurotic dog. She loves music, cooking, adding to her collection of cookbooks, and enjoying the fabulous New Mexico weather and scenery.
Dr. Netanya Mullen hails from southern California but was all too ready to switch out her city views for the gorgeous vistas of New Mexico. She attended medical school in Phoenix, Arizona, and completed training at Loma Linda Children’s Hospital before making her way to higher ground. Her current research examines the variable role of inhaled Nitrous Oxide in the treatment of complex neonatal lung pathologies. Further aims include examining how best to utilize established evidence in the construction of research projects to both add to the current knowledge base, and to create a more protocolized approach to premature infant care in rural and underserved environments. When she’s not working you can find her out hiking the Sandias or enjoying the galleries in Santa Fe.
There are generally two categorical positions available each year in the UNM Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine Program. Eligible fellowship candidates are required to have completed three years of pediatric training in an ACGME approved residency program prior to beginning fellowship. Foreign medical school applicants with a J1 visa and US Pediatric residency training will be considered for the program. Our program participates in the National Residency Matching Program as well as the Electronic Residency Application Services application process.
The following information should be included with your ERAS application:
Candidates who are considered to be a good match for the program will be asked to set up a personal interview. The candidate's interview day will include meetings with the program director, faculty in the neonatology division, prospective research mentors and fellows of the division. Applicants will also tour the NICU and research laboratories. Additional materials may be requested by the program director when the interview is arranged.Interviews will be held between August and November in the same year prior to the match date in December.
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Mailing Address:
Department of Pediatrics
1 Univ of New Mexico
MSC 10-5590
Albuquerque, NM 87131-0001
Program Coordinator:
NeonatologyFellowship@salud.unm.edu
505-272-8955, Fax: (505) 272-1539
Program Director:
Dawn Novak, MD
DWalstrom@salud.unm.edu
Phone: (505) 272-6414
Fax: (505) 272-1539
Associate Director:
Hellen Ko, MD
heko@salud.unm.edu
Phone: (505) 272-5551
Fax: (505) 272-1539